The Ultimate Guide To Packing Light For Your Holiday

December 21, 2016

Every good holiday starts with a well packed suitcase. Building a great travel wardrobe is the same as building a versatile wardrobe at home, just on a much smaller scale. Personal stylist and founder of Repeat Offender, Elisha Casagrande shares her tips on how to pack lightly for your holiday.

Planning your outfits ahead of time will ensure the items you pack will work for your destination, the climate and the activities you might do. More importantly, it will save you a stack of time getting dressed, leaving you more time to eat, drink and explore and will free up some room in your suitcase for shopping!

In my tops tips for holiday packing, I pay homage to my #1 rule, if you can’t get five looks out of a single piece, forget about it! Here are my tips on how to make sure you’ve got all the bases covered:

– Start with a palette of black, white and denim. Add either one colour and/or a print. Leopard print is one that can be easily mixed & matched with most neutrals

– Only pack versatile items that complement each other. Each garment should be able to be mixed & matched without clashing. If you’ve got a printed skirt and a plain coloured t-shirt, try and match the colour of the t-shirt to the print allowing you to wear them together as an outfit.

– As a priority, pack a good mix of separates and at least one dress. Too many frills & thrills and not enough basics will let you down! Pack a dress that’s comfortable to wear during the day but can easily be dressed up for night with a simple switch of footwear and an accessory.

– As a minimum, pack 2 options for footwear – something comfortable like a converse sneaker and something slightly more glam for both day and night.

Top 10 pieces to pack for your holiday:

1. Basic T-shirt – A basic crew neck style flatters all body shapes and, a good quality fabric is appropriate for any occasion.2. Shorts – A pair of shorts is perfect for the beach but can easily transform to dinner and drinks with a simple change of shoes.3. Button Up Shirt – A collared shirt is handy to have for those more formal occasions (think a family dinner or a trip to the Vatican) but can also double as a beach cover up.4. Camisole – A neutral cotton cami is the perfect piece to wear alone or, wear it as a layering piece for when the weather cools.5. Pencil Skirt – A light-weight stretchy pencil skirt is both comfortable to walk in during the day and at night it won’t require ironing – win, win!6. Denim Jacket – A must-have for unexpected changes in the weather.7. Jeans – I always take a pair of jeans because they remind me of home. When you’re out of your comfort zone, there’s nothing more comforting than slipping into your favourite denim.8. Dress – Choosing a dress that can be worn numerous ways can free up a lot of space in your suitcase – a reversible dress that can be turned inside out and worn back to front like the Reversible Stretch Modal dress by BC will create 4 looks! This means less luggage, and more room for shopping.9. Flat Sandals – appropriate for either day or night.10. Comfortable Shoes – A must-have for day trips or long walks.

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